《TAIPEI TIMES》 Fireworks shows to usher in new year nationwide

/ Staff Writer, with CNA

Celebrities, singers and dancers are to entertain New Year’s revelers across Taiwan to say goodbye to 2023 and celebrate the arrival of the new year.

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In New Taipei City, the city government said it would have the earliest New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Taiwan, which is scheduled to begin at 8:24pm across the Tamsui River （淡水河） estuary. A fireworks display of 13 minutes and 14 seconds is planned with eight segments, including an image of a dragon to mark the upcoming Year of the Dragon, it said.

Performances and market fairs are to take place from 3pm in Tamsui （淡水） and Bali （八里） districts on both sides of the river.

In Taipei, with its “Taipei Let’s Play!” theme, the city’s annual countdown party is to take place in front of Taipei City Hall at 7pm.

At 9pm, four concerts are to take place close to city hall, including a classical music concert near Taipei City Hall MRT Station on the Blue Line, and a silent disco behind city hall, the city government said.

Meanwhile, the Taipei 101 skyscraper plans a five-minute fireworks display based on the theme “Colorful World.”

In Keelung, before a six-minute fireworks show that is to start at the stroke of midnight, a market fair highlighting the city’s culinary culture is to be held in a square between the harbor and Keelung Railway Station.

In Taoyuan, its “Star Up” countdown party is slated to begin at 7pm in front of the high-speed rail station in the city’s Jhongli District （中壢）.

The five-hour show is to start with Taiwanese singing duo Power Station and end with a performance by two members of K-pop group N.Flying, Lee Seung-hyub and Yoo Hwe-seung.

Meanwhile, local authorities in the greater Hsinchu area are to jointly hold their countdown at the site of a planned National Taiwan University Hospital branch near Nanya Park in Hsinchu City.

In addition to a pop concert featuring 15 artists or groups, which is scheduled to begin at 6pm, there is to be a market fair with 100 vendors, local authorities said.

The party is to end with a five-minute fireworks display to usher in 2024.

Several New Year’s Eve events are planned across Taichung, including the first of six concerts by rock band Mayday, held at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium for its #5525 Live Tour to mark the group’s 25th anniversary.

The Taichung City Government countdown event is to take place in Taichung Central Park in the city’s Situn District （西屯） from 7pm to 1am, including a three-minute fireworks display starting at midnight.

One of the longest New Year’s fireworks shows in central and southern Taiwan is to be held in Yunlin County at Janfusun Fancyworld theme park. The theme park said it would deploy 400 drones near its Ferris wheel to create a light show lasting 14 minutes and eight seconds.

Twenty-one groups of celebrities are to take turns performing on stage at Chiayi City Municipal Stadium from 3pm today to commence the countdown for the greater Chiayi area.

Meanwhile, two New Year’s celebrations are to be held concurrently in Tainan today.

The event hosted by the city government is set to begin at 6pm and last until 1am.

Located at the western square of the city government’s Yonghua Civic Center in South District （南區）, the event is to be headlined by South Korean songstress Kim Se-jeong, K-pop boy band Verivery and Japanese pop diva Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.

Organizers also announced that 3,000 fireworks are to take to the skies for three minutes starting at midnight to celebrate the city’s fourth centennial.

At 7pm, another celebration is to take place at Nanying Green City Park in Sinying District （新營）, featuring concerts by local acts who are to take turns performing for attendees until 1am.

In Kaohsiung, diva Jeannie Hsieh （謝金燕） is to give an exclusive performance at the flagship Dream Mall. In addition to Hsieh and other Taiwanese acts, Kaohsiung’s celebration is slated to feature Thai singer Jeff Satur.

The city is to start its celebrations at 6:30pm today at the mall, and a four-minute fireworks show is to start at midnight to celebrate the arrival of 2024.

In Hualien, the New Year’s Countdown Party is slated to begin at 7pm today at the Dongdamen Night Market square, where fireworks are to be set off from a 200m-long rig.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES